Agenda item

Councillor Sinden will move and Councillor Essex will second the Motion.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.17.3, Members had been notified that that the Mayor was of the opinion that it would be convenient and conducive to the conduct of business to allow the Motion set out at item 10 on the agenda, to be dealt with at the meeting.

Councillor Sinden proposed the Motion and in so doing emphasised the emotional and financial impact on residents whose homes were affected and urged the Council to support the national campaign as set out in the Motion. Councillor Essex seconded the motion, and reserved the right to speak.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.19, Councillor Biggs moved an amendment to the Motion, seconded by Councillor Walsh. The amendment, circulated to all Members before the meeting, with additional words in bold underlined text, and deletions struck through, was as follows:

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council having regard to theto sign up to the 'End our Cladding Scandal Campaign', which makes the following 10 demands and the associated pledges will

1. The Government must lead an urgent national effort to remove all dangerous cladding from buildings by June 2022.
2. The Building Safety Fund must cover all buildings, regardless of height, and a range of internal and external fire safety defects, not just cladding.
3. The Government should provide the money up front and then seek to recover it from any responsible parties or via a temporary levy on development.
4. Social housing providers must have full and equal access to the fund.
5. The Government must compel building owners or managers to be honest with residents about fire safety defects.
6. The Government should cover the cost of interim safety measures.
7. The Government should act as an insurer of last resort and underwrite insurance where premiums have soared.
8. A fairer, faster process is needed to replace the EWS form and funding is necessary to ensure all buildings requiring a form are surveyed within 12 months.
9. Mental health support must be offered to affected residents.
10. Protecting residents from historic and future costs must be a key commitment of new building safety legislation.

·       Press the government to ensure the buildings with the greatest safety concerns within the Borough are prioritised

·       Continue lobbying the Government on behalf of our residents to allocate additional funding, particularly those in properties below 18m in height

·       Support a Borough wide effort to ensure that developers remove all dangerous cladding from the buildings affected as a matter of urgency;

·       Enable and encourage our affected residents to contact our officers and members to escalate their issues to the necessary parties and agencies to ensure that all necessary safety works are carried out in the shortest possible time.

Members discussion on the amendment included the following comments:

·       That the announcement by the Housing Secretary of £3.5 billion of government funding to replace unsafe cladding on residential buildings of 18 metres or over, was welcome

·       It was desirable that every resident that was affected should have their property prioritised, remedied by the developers and contractors responsible, and not suffer a financial loss

·       One Ward councillor was already engaging with affected residents, and the amendment encouraged the continuance of engagement between affected residents, Members, and Officers; and

·       The amendment was realistic and specific to the Borough.

Councillor Essex, having reserved the right to speak as seconder of the original motion, felt that the amendment was not as strong as the original motion, and in acknowledging the spirit of the amendment, urged that the local Member of Parliament should offer support in forthcoming parliamentary debates.  Councillor Sinden, as mover of the original motion, emphasised the mental health and wellbeing impact on residents affected, and urged that remedial actions be taken promptly. 

The Mayor called upon the Interim Head of Paid service to conduct a roll-call vote on the amendment, which was carried with 34 votes for, 3 against and 2 abstentions, whereupon it was:

RESOLVED that

1.       Reigate and Banstead Borough Council having regard to the 'End our Cladding Scandal Campaign' and the associated pledges will:

·       Press the government to ensure the buildings with the greatest safety concerns within the Borough are prioritised

·       Continue lobbying the Government on behalf of our residents to allocate additional funding, particularly those in properties below 18m in height

·       Support a Borough wide effort to ensure that developers remove all dangerous cladding from the buildings affected as a matter of urgency;

·       Enable and encourage our affected residents to contact our Officers and Members to escalate their issues to the necessary parties and agencies to ensure that all necessary safety works are carried out in the shortest possible time.